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“I like the logo," said forward Jason Smith. "It’s got a very aggressive look to it. I think it’s going to be great for this organization and the city. I think they’re going to like it.”

Upon purchasing the Hornets for $340 million last spring, Tom Benson, who also owns the NFL's New Orleans Saints, announced he wanted to change the team name to "something more New Orleans."

The Pelicans were a minor league baseball franchise in New Orleans from 1887 to 1959 and again in 1997.

“Well the Hornets name was brought here from Charlotte and I guess that is where it belongs, but it doesn’t mean anything here," Benson said. "So, I think it’s very important that we got something like the Pelican that represents New Orleans and Louisiana. The Saints do that, and I think the Pelicans name does that as well. We didn’t just pick this out of thin air. We looked at a lot of names. Every time something came up there were a lot of good points, but we always came back to the Pelicans. I think it’s going to help us get to a championship here.”

The brown pelican is the Louisiana state bird.

The Hornets began as an NBA franchise in Charlotte, N.C., in 1988, before relocating to New Orleans in 2002.

Former team owner George Shinn was urged to change the name when the Hornets relocated from North Carolina, but Shinn declined.

The Pelicans new colors will be navy blue, red and gold.

In an interview last year, Benson's wife, Gayle Benson, said the family wanted to use black as one of the Pelican's colors. However, the NBA told them the league has too many teams using black as a primary color.

“I love the logo," said head coach Monty Williams. "That was what I was most worried about. I was hoping it was something dynamic and strong. When I saw the colors and the angles of it, I thought it was pretty cool. It’s going to be cool to see little kids around the city wearing Pelicans jerseys and hats. We’ve just got to make sure our team is getting stronger every year to match up with the pelican.”